Display device

ABSTRACT

A display device includes a body, a housing separated from the body and configured to transmit/receive signals to/from the body, and a cable coupling the housing and the body. The cable has a signal line for transferring a video signal and a power line for transferring electric power.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application Nos.10-2015-0158785 filed on Nov. 12, 2015, and 10-2015-0180078 filed onDec. 16, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE Field of the Disclosure

The preset invention relates to a display device and, more particularly,to a display device configured in such a manner that a flat cable can beeasily coupled to/separated from an FPC cable since a cable cover forshielding the flat cable is not present.

Background of the Disclosure

With the development of information-oriented society, demand for displaydevices is increasing. To meet such demand, various types of displaydevices such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), PDP (Plasma DisplayPanel), ELD (electroluminescent display) and VFD (Vacuum FluorescentDisplay) have recently been researched and used.

From among such display devices, display devices using an organic lightemitting diode (OLED) can be implemented as ultra-thin displays sincethe display devices have excellent luminance and viewing anglecharacteristics and do not require a backlight unit, compared to LCDs.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided adisplay device, including: a body; a housing separated from the body andconfigured to transmit/receive signals to/from the body; and a cablecoupling the housing and the body, wherein the cable includes a flatcable located in at least part of the cable and having a flat shape, andaround cable located in at least another part of the cable and having around shape.

The flat cable may include a plurality of layers.

The flat cable may have one end coupled to the body, and the round cablemay have one end coupled to the housing.

The display device may further include an FPC cable coupling the otherend of the flat cable and the other end of the round cable.

At least one of the plurality of layers may include a signal terminalthrough which signals are transferred, and at least another one of theplurality of layers may include a power terminal through which power issupplied.

A layer between the signal terminal and the power terminal may include aground terminal.

The length of a protruding end of at least one of the plurality oflayers may differ from that of at least another one of the plurality oflayers.

The uppermost layer, from among the plurality of layers, may have alongest protruding length and layers under the uppermost layer may haveidentical or shorter protruding lengths with increasing distance fromthe uppermost layer.

The FPC cable may include a plurality of layers corresponding to theplurality of layers of the flat cable.

Protruding ends of the layers of the FPC cable may have differentlengths.

The lowermost layer, from among the plurality of layers of the FPCcable, may have a longest protruding length and layers above thelowermost layer may have identical or shorter protruding lengths withincreasing distance from the lowermost layer.

The FPC cable may include one or more FPC terminals disposed on theupper surface of the end of each layer, wherein the FPC terminals arearranged at intervals.

The FPC cable may include FPC terminals disposed on the upper surface ofthe end of each layer and the front side of each layer.

The FPC terminals disposed on the upper surface of the end of each layerand the FPC terminals disposed on the front side of each layer may bealternately arranged in a zigzag form.

One of at least one side of the FPC cable and a side connected to the atleast one side may have a stepped form.

The FPC cable may include an FPC terminal disposed at the end thereof,and the FPC terminal may be provided to one of at least one side of theFPC cable and a side connected to the at least one side.

At least one side of the FPC cable and both sides connected to the oneside may have a stepped form.

The FPC cable may include an FPC terminal disposed at the end thereof,and the FPC terminal may be provided to at least one side of the FPCcable and both sides connected to the at least one side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of theinvention. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 to 10 illustrate a configuration of a display device accordingto the present invention;

FIGS. 11 to 18 illustrate a connecting part of a display device body anda housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 19, 20 and 21 illustrate a display device according to anembodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 22 to 39 illustrate a display device according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the inventionexamples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Sincethe present invention may be modified in various ways and may havevarious forms, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings andare described in detail in the present specification. However, it shouldbe understood that the present invention is not limited to specificdisclosed embodiments, but includes all modifications, equivalents andsubstitutes within the spirit and technical scope of the presentinvention.

The terms “first”, “second”, etc. maybe used to describe variouscomponents, but the components are not limited by such terms. The termsare used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from othercomponents. For example, a first component may be designated as a secondcomponent without departing from the scope of the present invention. Inthe same manner, the second component may be designated as the firstcomponent.

The term “and/or” encompasses both combinations of the plurality ofrelated items disclosed and any item from among the plurality of relateditems disclosed.

When an arbitrary component is described as being “connected to” or“linked to” another component, this should be understood to mean thatadditional component(s) may exist therebetween, although the arbitrarycomponent may be directly connected to, or linked to, the secondcomponent. In contrast, when an arbitrary component is described asbeing “directly connected to” or “directly linked to” another component,this should be understood to mean that no component exists therebetween.

The terms used in the present application are used to describe onlyspecific embodiments or examples, and are not intended to limit thepresent invention. A singular expression can include a plural expressionas long as it does not have an apparently different meaning in context.

In the present application, the terms “include” and “have” should beunderstood to designate that illustrated features, numbers, steps,operations, components, parts or combinations thereof exist and not topreclude the existence of one or more different features, numbers,steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof, or thepossibility of the addition thereof.

Unless otherwise specified, all of the terms which are used herein,including the technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning asgenerally understood by a person having ordinary knowledge in the art towhich the present invention pertains. The terms defined in a generallyused dictionary must be understood to have meanings identical to thoseused in the context of a related art, and are not to be construed tohave ideal or excessively formal meanings unless they are obviouslyspecified in the present application.

The following exemplary embodiments of the present invention areprovided to those skilled in the art in order to describe the presentinvention more completely. Accordingly, shapes and sizes of elementsshown in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

While an organic light emitting display (OLED) is exemplified as adisplay panel in the following description, a display panel applicableto the present invention is not limited to the OLED panel and may be anLCD, PDP or FED (Field Emission Display) panel.

FIGS. 1 to 10 illustrate a configuration of a display device accordingto the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a display panel 100 may include a first long sideLS1, a second long side LS2, a first short side SS1 adjoining the firstlong side LS1 and the second long side LS2, and a second short side SS2opposite the first short side SS1.

The area of the first short side SS1 may be referred to as a first sidearea, the area of the second short side SS2 may be referred to as asecond side area, the area of the first long side LS1 may be referred toas a third side area adjoining the first side area and the second sidearea and located between the first side area and the second side area,and the area of the second long side LS2 may be referred to as a fourthside area opposite the third side area, which adjoins the first sidearea and the second side area and is located between the first side areaand the second side area.

While the length of the first and second long sides LS1 and LS2 isgreater than the length of the first and second short sides SS1 and SS2in the figure, the length of the first and second long sides LS1 and LS2may be approximately equal to the length of the first and second shortsides SS1 and SS2.

In the following description, a first direction DR1 may be parallel withthe long sides LS1 and LS2 of the display panel 100 and a seconddirection DR2 may be parallel with the short sides SS1 and SS2 of thedisplay panel 100.

A third direction DR3 may be perpendicular to the first direction DR1and/or the second direction DR2.

The first direction DR1 and the second direction DR2 may be commonlyreferred to as a horizontal direction.

The third direction DR3 may be referred to as a vertical direction.

Referring to FIG. 2, a display device body 10 according to the presentinvention may include the display panel 100, a module cover 200 and aPCB cover 400.

The display panel 100 is provided to the front side of the body 10 anddisplays images. The display panel 100 may divide an image into aplurality of pixels and display the image by controlling color,brightness and saturation per pixel.

The display panel 100 may have a rectangular shape. However, the shapeof the display panel 100 is not limited thereto and the display panel100 may have corners with a predetermined curvature. The display panel100 may be an OLED panel. However, the display panel 100 is not limitedthereto and may be an LCD panel.

The module cover 200 may be provided to the rear side of the displaypanel 100. The module cover 200 may be directly attached to the displaypanel 100. The module cover 200 can support the rear side of the displaypanel 100. That is, the module cover 200 can reinforce the display panel100. Accordingly, the module cover 200 may be formed of a material thatis light and has high hardness . For example, the module cover 200 canbe formed of aluminum.

A source PCB 172 may be attached to the lower part of the module cover200. The module cover 200 may have a hole formed in a region where thesource PCB 172 is disposed. When an excessively large number ofthrough-holes or holes are formed in the module cover 200, the modulecover 200 may be cracked or the hardness thereof may decrease.Accordingly, it is desirable that the module cover 200 have a fewerthrough-holes or holes.

The source PCB 172 may have signal lines mounted thereon. The signallines transfer digital video data and timing control signals transmittedfrom a timing controller board. The source PCB 172 can be connected tothe display panel 100 through a source COF (Chip on Film).

The source COF can be electrically connected to the source PCB 172 anddata pads of the display panel 100. The source COF may have a dataintegrated circuit mounted thereon.

The PCB cover 400 may be provided to the region where the source PCB 172is disposed. The PCB cover 400 can prevent the source PCB 172 from beingexposed. The PCB cover 400 may be opaque such that the source PCB 172 isnot exposed.

The PCB cover 400 may be formed of an insulating material such thatinterference from other electronic devices is not applied to the sourcePCB 172. For example, the PCB cover 400 can be formed of a plasticmaterial. Accordingly, the PCB cover 400 can protect the source PCB 172from leakage current.

The display device body according to the present invention can supportthe display panel 100 only with the module cover 200. That is, the body20 may not include a cover other than the module cover 200. Accordingly,a user can feel that the body 10 is thin and concentrate on the displayscreen.

Referring to FIG. 3, the display panel 100 may include a transparentsubstrate 110, an upper electrode 120, an organic emission layer 130 anda lower electrode 140. The transparent substrate 110, the upperelectrode 120, the organic emission layer 130 and the lower electrode140 may be sequentially formed.

The transparent substrate 110 and the upper electrode 120 may contain atransparent material. The lower electrode 140 may contain a materialthat is not transparent. However, the material of the lower electrode140 is not limited thereto and may include a transparent material (e.g.ITO). In this case, light can be emitted from one side of the lowerelectrode 140.

When a voltage is applied to the upper and lower electrodes 120 and 140,light emitted from the organic emission layer 130 can be projected tothe outside through the upper electrode 120 and the transparentsubstrate 110. Here, to project light emitted from the lower electrode140 to the front of the display panel 100, a light shielding plate maybe provided behind the lower electrode 140.

The display device according to the present invention may be an OLEDdisplay. Accordingly, the display device 100 does not require anadditional light source and the volume and weight of the display device100 can be reduced. In addition, the OLED display has a response speed1000 times that of an LCD, afterimage is not generated when the OLEDdisplay displays images.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the display device according to the presentinvention, the back cover 200 can be attached to the display panel 100through an adhesive sheet 350. The adhesive sheet 350 may include adouble-sided tape.

The adhesive sheet 350 may have a thickness . Accordingly, particles ordust may enter the space between the display panel 100 and the backcover 200. To prevent this, at least one side of the adhesive sheet 350may be sealed using a sealing member 183, as shown in FIG. 4(a). Thesealing member 183 can simultaneously shield at least one side of theadhesive sheet 350 and at least one side of the display panel 100.

Alternatively, a frame 187 may be provided to at least one side of theadhesive sheet 350, as shown in FIG. 4(b). The frame 187 comes intocontact with at least one side of the adhesive sheet 350 and one endthereof maybe bent to extend to the display panel 100. Accordingly, theframe 187 can also shield at least one side of the display panel 100.

Alternatively, a middle cabinet 193 may be provided between the displaypanel 100 and the back cover 200, as shown in FIG. 4(c). The middlecabinet 193 can guide a position to which the display panel 100 iscoupled. The middle cabinet 193 may have a flange 193 a inserted betweenthe display panel 100 and the back cover 200. The body of the middlecabinet 193 can simultaneously shield at least one side of the displaypanel 100 and at least one side of the back cover 200.

The flange 193 a of the middle cabinet 193 may be separated from theadhesive tape 350. Accordingly, the adhesive sheet 350 need not beapplied to the entire area of the display panel 100, and thus thequantity of the adhesive sheet 350 can be reduced when the displaydevice is manufactured.

Alternatively, the edge of the back cover 200 may be bent to the displaypanel 100, as shown in FIG. 4(d). Since the edge of the back cover 200is bent, at least one side of the adhesive sheet 350 can be shielded.

In this case, particles can be prevented from entering between thedisplay panel 100 and the back cover 200. Accordingly, a display devicemanufacturing process can be simplified and manufacturing costs can bedecreased. In addition, the edge of the back cover 200 can be separatedfrom the adhesive sheet 350. Accordingly, the adhesive sheet 350 neednot be applied to the entire area of the display panel 100, and thus thequantity of the adhesive sheet 350 can be reduced when the displaydevice is manufactured.

In the following embodiments, structures provided to at least one sideof the adhesive tape 350 are omitted for convenience of description. Thestructures provided to at least one side of the adhesive tape 350 areapplicable to other embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 5, the display device according to the presentinvention may include a housing 500 electrically connected to the body10.

The housing 500 can transmit at least one signal to the body 10. Thehousing 500 can shield components that drive the display device. Forexample, the housing 500 can shield at least one printed circuit board(PCB). A combination structure and a combination method of the at leastone PCB will be described in detail.

The housing 500 may be separated from the body 10 instead of coming intocontact with the body 10. That is, the housing 500 may not be located ina region corresponding to a display screen. Accordingly, the housing 500may not disturb the user when the user views the display screen.

For example, the housing 500 can be coupled to the body 10 through aplurality of flat cables 161, as shown in FIG. 5(a). The flat cables 161can include a plurality of signal connection terminal pins and at leastone ground terminal pin for coupling the housing 500 to the body 10. Theflat cables 161 are cheaper than other cables.

Alternatively, the housing 500 may be coupled to the body 10 through around cable 163, as shown in FIG. 5(b). That is, electrical signalstransmitted through the plurality of flat cables 161 can be transmittedthrough one round cable 163. Since the housing 500 is coupled to thebody through one round cable 163 instead of a plurality of cables, theappearance of the display device becomes neat.

Alternatively, the housing 500 and the body 10 may exchange electricalsignals wirelessly, as shown in FIG. 5(c). In this case, the appearanceof the display device can become neater than when the housing 500 iscoupled to the body through the flat cables 161 or the round cable 163.

In the display device according to the present invention, the body 10and the housing 500 may be separated from each other. Accordingly, theuser can view the display screen without being disturbed by the housingand a display device having a thinner body 10 can be implemented.

Referring to FIG. 6, the display device according to the presentinvention can exchange electrical signals with the housing 500 throughan electrical wire 816 that penetrates an attached panel 700 to whichthe body 10 is attached. In this case, one side of a source PCB of thebody 10 can be connected to the electrical wire 816.

The electrical wire 816 can penetrate the attached panel 700 to whichthe body 10 is attached to be inserted thereinto. One side of theelectrical wire 816 can be connected to the source PCB and the otherside thereof can be connected to the round cable 163. The electricalwire 816 may be provided inside of the panel 700 and thus the usercannot see the electrical wire 816.

In the display device according to the present invention, the body 10and the housing 500 can be connected through the electrical wire 816inserted into the inside of the panel 700 to which the body 10 isattached. Accordingly, the housing 500 and the body 10 may appear not tobe directly connected. Therefore, the appearance of the display devicelooks neat and the user can concentrate on the display screen.

Referring to FIG. 7, in the display device according to the presentinvention, a PCB cover may not be provided to the body 10 . Accordingly,the body 10 may require a space where a source PCB 172 can be located.

For example, a portion of the back cover 200, which corresponds to thesource PCB 172, may be recessed, as shown in FIG. 7(a). In this case,the portion of the back cover 200, which corresponds to the source PCB172, may be thinner than the other portion. Since the back cover 200does not have a uniform thickness, the hardness of the back cover can beimproved.

Since the portion of the back cover 200, which corresponds to the sourcePCB 172, is thinner, the source PCB 172 can be disposed on the rear sideof the display panel 100 irrespective of the thickness of the adhesivesheet 350.

Alternatively, the back cover 200 may have a uniform thickness, as shownin FIG. 7(b). That is, the back cover 200 may not have a recessedportion. In this case, the thickness of the adhesive sheet 350interposed between the display panel 100 and the back cover 200 in athird direction may be greater than the thickness of the source PCB 172in the third direction.

Since the back cover 200 has a uniform thickness, a manufacturingprocess of the back cover 200 can be simplified and manufacturing costscan be reduced.

In the display device according to the present invention, the source PCB172 may be located between the display panel 100 and the back cover 200.Accordingly, the back cover 200 may not require a through-hole or a holeformed therein. Therefore, the back cover 200 is not cracked andhardness thereof can be enhanced.

Referring to FIG. 8, one or more PCBs may be located inside of thehousing 500. The PCBs may be located at intervals.

For example, the one or more PCBs may include main boards 109. The mainboards 109 can provide an interface for operating the display device. Inaddition, the main boards 109 can optimize the state of the displaydevice by checking and managing operating states of components of thedisplay device.

Alternatively, the one or more PCBs may include a power supply 107. Thepower supply 107 can supply power to the display device. That is, thepower supply 107 can supply power to the body. The power supply 107 canconvert an AC frequency into a DC frequency. That is, the power supplycan convert a low frequency into a high frequency so as to improveelectrical efficiency.

Alternatively, the one or more PCBs may include a timing controllerboard 105. The timing controller board 105 may transfer a signal inputthereto to the display panel 100. That is, the timing controller board105 can transfer timing signals CLK, LOAD and SPi for controlling thesource PCB and video signals R, G and B to the source PCB. In addition,the timing controller board 105 can control images. The timingcontroller board 105 can be coupled to the source PCB through one of aflat cable, a round cable and wireless communication.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), the main board 109 may be disposed at the centerand right side of the housing 500 and separated from each other, and thepower supply 107 may be disposed opposite the main board 109 located atthe right side of the housing 500 in the direction of the long side ofthe housing 500 on the basis of the center of the housing 500.

The timing controller board 105 may be disposed on the main board 109and the power supply 107. Since the timing controller board 105 isdisposed on the main board 109 and the power supply 107, the insidespace of the housing 500 can be saved.

A T-con shield (not shown) may be attached to a region where the timingcontroller board 105 is mounted in order to block electromagnetic wavesemitted from the power supply 107 and the main board 109. That is, thetiming controller board 105 can be disposed on the T-con shield insteadof being disposed on the power supply 107 and the main board 109.Accordingly, the power supply 107 and the main board 109 and the timingcontroller board 105 may not interfere with each other. In addition, theT-con shield can protect the timing controller board 105 from impactapplied thereto.

The timing controller board 105 may be superposed on the power supply107 and the main board 109 in the height direction of the housing 500.Accordingly, the timing controller board 105 can be easily coupled tothe power supply 107 and the main boards 109.

Referring to FIG. 8(b), one main board 109 may be mounted inside of thehousing 500. Specifically, the main board 109 may be disposed at oneside of the housing 500 and the power supply 107 may be disposedopposite the main board 109 in the direction of the long side of thehousing 500.

The display device according to the present invention can save theinternal space thereof since the timing controller board 105 is locatedon the power supply 107 and the main board 109. Accordingly, the size ofthe housing 500 can be reduced and thus the aesthetics of the displaydevice can be improved.

Referring to FIG. 9, the display device according to the presentinvention may include speakers 117 provided to both sides of the frontof the housing 500. The speakers 117 can output sound to the user.Accordingly, it is more efficient to dispose the speakers 117 to thefront side of the housing 500.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the speakers 117 may be mounted on the front sideof the housing and separated from at least one PCB mounted inside of thehousing 500. Alternatively, the speakers 117 may be disposed outside ofthe housing 500 and separated from the housing 500, as shown in FIG.9(b). Since the speakers 117 are located outside of the housing 500,sound output from the speakers 117 can be well transferred to the user.

In the display device according to the present invention, the speakers117 maybe disposed at the front side or both sides of the housing 500.Accordingly, sound of the display device, output through the speakers117, can be well transferred to the user.

Referring to FIG. 10, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board 174 may bedisposed on the source PCB 172. The FPC board 174 may be located on therear side of the display panel 100. The FPC board 174 can be coupled tothe source PCB 172 through a connector 157. The connector 157, which islocated above the source PCB 172, can connect the source PCB 172 and thelower end of the FPC board 174.

The source PCB 172 can deliver electrical signals to the housing througha flat cable 161. The flat cable 161 may include a plurality of signalconnection terminal pins and at least one ground terminal pin forconnecting the source PCB 172 and the housing. The flat cable 161 ischeaper than other cables.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), the FPC board 174 may be disposed at the centerof the display panel 100. The FPC board 174 can be coupled to the flatcable 161 through the connector 157 located therein. Since the FPC board174 is disposed at the center of the display panel 100, the flat cable161 coupled to the FPC board 174 can also be located at the center ofthe display panel 100.

Various drive ICs may be mounted on the FPC board 174. The drive ICs cantransmit and receive data between the source PCB and the housing. Forexample, the drive ICs can include a SERDES (serializer/deserializer)IC. The SERDES IC can convert serial data/parallel data into paralleldata/serial data. Accordingly, the SERDES IC can rapidly transmitsignals.

Referring to FIG. 10(b), the FPC board 174 may be disposed at one sideof the display panel 100. Accordingly, the flat cable 161 coupled to theFPC board 174 can also be located at one side of the display panel 100.Since the flat cable 161 is located at one side of the display panel100, the user can view the display screen without being disturbed by theflat cable 161.

In the present embodiment, one side of the FPC board 174 may beprojected to the outside of the display panel 100. That is, one side ofthe FPC board 174 is exposed. Accordingly, the flat cable can be easilycoupled to/separated from the FPC board 174 through the projectedportion of the FPC board 174.

In the present embodiment, drive ICs may be mounted on the source PCB172. Accordingly, the space of the display panel can be saved sincedrive ICs are not mounted on the FPC board 174.

The display device according to the present invention can be connectedto the flat cable 161 through the FPC board 174. Accordingly, a largerquantity of data can be rapidly transmitted and received through thedrive ICs mounted on the FPC board 174.

FIGS. 11 to 18 illustrate a connecting part of the display device bodyand the housing according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 11, the body 10 and the housing 500 may be coupled toeach other through a flat cable 161 and a round cable 163. That is, datacan be transmitted between the body 10 and the housing 500 through theflat cable 161 and the round cable 163.

The round cable 163 may be very thick and large. Accordingly, if theround cable 163 is directly connected to the body 10 attached to thepanel for attaching the display device body 10 to a wall, the user maybe disturbed by the round cable 163 when the user views the displayscreen. In addition, the display device may appear to not to be tightlycoupled to the wall.

The flat cable 161 is very thin and thus may not disturb the user who isviewing the display screen when connected to the body 10. In addition,the display device can appear to be tightly coupled to the wall.However, the flat cable 161 may disturb the housing 500 when the housing500 is moved since the flat cable 161 is thin and thus sags.

In addition, the flat cable 161 may be difficult to move horizontallyalthough it can move forward and backward. Accordingly, if the body 10and the housing 500 are connected through the flat cable 161 only, itmay be difficult to freely move the housing 500.

The round cable 163 can be freely moved in every direction .Accordingly, the housing 500 can be freely moved when the body 10 andthe housing 500 are connected through the round cable 163.

Therefore, the body 10 and the housing 500 can be connected through theflat cable 161 and the round cable 163 in such a manner that the flatcable 161 is coupled to the body 10 and the round cable 163 is coupledto the housing 500.

An FPC cable 181 may be coupled between the flat cable 161 and the roundcable 163 so as to connect the flat cable 161 and the round cable 163.The FPC cable 181 can match the positions of a signal terminal and apower terminal of the flat cable 161 to the positions of a signalterminal and a power terminal of the round cable 163.

In the display device according to the present invention, signals can betransmitted using the flat cable 161 coupled to the body 10 and theround cable 163 coupled to the housing 500. Accordingly, the body 10 canappear to be tightly coupled to the panel to which the body 10 isattached. In addition, the housing 500 can be moved without beingdisturbed by the cables.

Referring to FIG. 12, an inserted part of the FPC cable 181 may have astepped form. That is, the end of the inserted part of the FPC cable 181is formed in stepped layers which have different protruding lengths.That is, the protruding length of a lower layer may be longer than thatof an upper layer. For example, the protruding length of the lowestlayer at the end of the FPC cable 181 is longest and protruding lengthsof layers decrease with increasing distance from the highest layer. TheFPC cable 181 can contact the flat cable 161 inserted corresponding tothe respective layers. The FPC cable 181 can transfer signalstransmitted to the respective layers to the round cable 163.

The width of the round cable 163 in a first direction may be narrowerthan the width of the flat cable 161 in the first direction.Accordingly, the width of the FPC cable 181 may decrease as the FPCcable 181 approaches the round cable 163. The flat cable 161 can beinserted into the inside of the FPC cable 181 and engage therewith.Accordingly, the end of the flat cable 161 may have a reversed steppedform. That is, the flat cable 161 is composed of multiple layers whichhave different protruding lengths.

A cable cover 177 may be disposed on the FPC cable 181 and separatedtherefrom. The cable cover 177 can cover the flat cable 161 when theflat cable 161 is inserted into the FPC cable. The cable cover 177 canguide an insertion position of the flat cable 161 such that the flatcable 161 can be correctly inserted into the FPC cable 181. That is, theflat cable 161 can engage between the cable cover 177 and the FPC cable181.

Referring to FIG. 13, the FPC cable 181 may include FPC terminals 217provided to the upper surface of the end of each layer. The FPCterminals 217 may be formed of a metal material. The FPC terminals 217can function as doorways through which transmitted/received data pass.The FPC terminals 217 can be arranged on the upper surface of the end ofeach layer at predetermined intervals. Accordingly, data transmittedthrough the respective FPC terminals 217 may not interfere with eachother.

The layers of the FPC cable 181 may transfer different pieces of data.For example, one layer of the FPC cable 181 can transfer a signal andanother layer thereof can transfer power. Since different pieces of dataare transmitted through different layers of the FPC cable 181,interference between data can be prevented.

Referring to FIG. 14, the flat cable 161 may be composed of multiplelayers. As shown in FIG. 14(a), the flat cable 161 may include a firstpower terminal 274, a second power terminal 276, a signal terminal 278and a ground terminal 251 between data transfer layers.

Different power voltages can be respectively transferred through thefirst power terminal 274 and the second power terminal 276. For example,12V can be transferred through the first power terminal 274 and 24V canbe transferred through the second power terminal 276. The signalterminal 278 can transfer signals. The signal terminal 278 can transfersignals such that images corresponding to the signals can be displayed.

The ground terminal 251 may be interposed between the signal terminal278 and the first and second power terminals 274 and 276. The groundterminal 251 can shield external noise and block interference between asignal and power.

While FIG. 14 shows the signal terminal 278 and the first and secondpower terminals 274 and 276, the present invention is not limitedthereto and the signal terminal 278 and the first and second powerterminals 274 and 276 may be further segmented. For example, a powerterminal can be divided into parts for supplying 3.5V, 12V and 24V.

Referring to FIG. 14(b), the layers of the flat cable 161 at one endthereof may have different protruding lengths to engage with the FPCcable having a stepped form at the end thereof. The uppermost layer ofthe flat cable 161 may have the longest protruding length and the flatcable 161 may have a shorter protruding length with increasing distanceto the uppermost layer. For example, the signal terminal 278 located atthe top layer of the flat cable 161 can protrude more than the first andsecond power terminals 274 and 276 and the second power terminal 276 canprotrude more than the first power terminal 274. That is, the signalterminal 278 and the first and second power terminals 274 and 276 mayhave a reversed stepped form.

Each of the signal terminal 278 and the first and second power terminals274 and 276 may have a flat cable terminal 231 provided on the lowersurface of one end thereof. The flat cable terminal 231 can transferdata from the signal terminal 278 or the first and second powerterminals 274 and 276 to other parts. The flat cable terminal 231 maynot contact other layers in such a manner that the flat cable terminal231 is disposed at a part protruding from the layer under the layer onwhich the flat cable terminal 231 is located. The flat cable terminal231 may include a metal material. The flat cable terminal 231 cantransfer power or signals to the FPC terminals by contacting the FPCterminals.

Referring to FIG. 15, not only one side of the inserted part of the FPCcable 181 but also a side connected to the side may have a stepped form.For example, the inserted part of the FPC cable 181 may include a firstside facing the front and a second side connected to one end of thefirst side and perpendicular to the first side, and the first and secondsides may have a stepped form.

The FPC terminals 217 may be disposed on upper surfaces of the ends ofthe layers at the first side and upper surfaces of the ends of thelayers at the second side. The FPC terminals 217 may be located atpredetermined intervals at the first and second sides.

Since the FPC terminals 217 are located at the second side as well asthe first side, a larger number of FPC terminals 217 can be provided toeach layer of the FPC cable 181. Accordingly, a larger amount of datacan be transferred while maintaining the density of FPC terminals 217without increasing the probability of short-circuiting betweenneighboring FPC terminals 217. In addition, the thickness of the FPCcable 181 can be reduced by decreasing the number of layers thereof.

Referring to FIG. 16, not only one side of the inserted part of the FPCcable 181 but also one of sides connected to the side may have a steppedform, as shown in FIG. 16(a). For example, the inserted part of the FPCcable 181 may include the first side and a third side facing the secondside and connected to one end of the first side, and the third side mayhave a stepped form.

The FPC terminals 217 may be disposed on the upper surfaces of the endsof the layers at the first side and upper surfaces of the ends of thelayers at the third side. The FPC terminals 217 may be located atpredetermined intervals at the first and second sides.

Referring to FIG. 16(b), not only one side of the inserted part of theFPC cable 181 but also both sides connected to the side may have astepped form. That is, the inserted part of the FPC cable 181 mayinclude the first side and second and third sides connected to both endsof the first side, and the second and third sides may have a steppedform.

The FPC terminals 217 may be disposed on the upper surfaces of the endsof the layers at the first, second and third sides. The FPC terminals217 may be located at predetermined intervals at the first, second andsecond sides.

Since the FPC terminals 217 are located at the first, second and thirdsides, a larger number of FPC terminals 217 can be provided to eachlayer of the FPC cable 181. Accordingly, a larger amount of data can betransferred while maintaining the density of FPC terminals 217 withoutincreasing the probability of short-circuiting between neighboring FPCterminals 217. In addition, the thickness of the FPC cable 181 can bereduced by decreasing the number of layers thereof.

Referring to FIG. 17, the FPC terminals 217 maybe disposed on the uppersurfaces and front sides of the layers of the FPC cable 181, as shown inFIG. 17(a). The FPC terminals 217 located on the upper surfaces of thelayers of the FPC cable 181 and the FPC terminals 217 located on thefront sides of the layers of the FPC cable 181 may be alternativelydisposed in a zigzag form. Accordingly, wires connected to the FPCterminals 217 can be extended in a straight line without overlapping.

The FPC terminals 217 can be disposed not only on the upper surfaces ofthe layers of the FPC cable 181 but also on the front sides thereof.Accordingly, a larger amount of data can be transferred whilemaintaining the density of FPC terminals 217 without increasing theprobability of short-circuiting between neighboring FPC terminals 217.In addition, the thickness of the FPC cable 181 can be reduced bydecreasing the number of layers thereof.

Referring to FIG. 17(b), the FPC cables 181 maybe disposed on the frontsides of the layers of the FPC cable 181. Since the FPC terminals 217are disposed only on the front sides of the layers of the FPC cable 181,the FPC terminals 217 can be inserted into the flat cable withoutcollision and come into contact with the flat cable after completeinsertion. Accordingly, the FPC terminals 217 are not damaged even whenconnection and separation between the FPC cable and the flat cable arerepeated.

Referring to FIG. 18, in a conventional display device, the signalterminal 278 and the first and second power terminals 274 and 276 arelocated inside of the flat cable 161, as shown in FIG. 18(a). The signalterminal 278 is located at the center of the flat cable 161 and thefirst and second power terminals 274 and 276 are located at both sidesof the signal terminal 278.

Different levels of power are supplied through the first power terminal274 and the second power terminal 276. The signal terminal 278 cantransfer signals. The signal terminal 278 can transfer a signal suchthat an image corresponding to the signal can be displayed.

In the conventional flat cable 161, the first and second power terminals274 and 276 and the signal terminal 278 are located on one layer. Thatis, the first and second power terminals 274 and 276 and the signalterminal 278 can be located on the same plane.

Referring to FIG. 18(b), the display device according to the presentinvention can be configured in such a manner that the signal terminal278 and the first and second power terminals 274 and 276 are arranged inmultiple layers inside of the flat cable 161. Accordingly, the widthFFW2 of the flat cable 161 according to the present invention can beless than the width FFW1 of the conventional flat cable 161. Forexample, the signal terminal 278 can be disposed at the top level andthe second power terminal 276 and the first power terminal can besequentially located under the signal terminal 278.

Therefore, interference between the signal terminal 278 and the firstand second power terminals 274 and 276 of the flat cable 161 can bereduced. In addition, since the width FFW2 of the flat cable 161 isnarrow, wiring between signal terminals and power terminals of the flatcable 161 and a round cable can be easily switched.

FIGS. 19, 20 and 21 illustrate the display device according to anembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 19, in the display device according to the presentinvention, the length of the flat cable 161, which is exposed to theoutside, can be freely adjusted. That is, the display device can be inone of a first state in which the exposed length of the flat cable 161is relatively long and a second state in which the exposed length of theflat cable 161 is relatively short.

For example, the body 10 and the housing 500 can be separated from eachother, as shown in FIG. 19(a). In this case, the exposed length FD1 ofthe flat cable 161 is relatively long. That is, the display device is inthe first state. Since the body 10 and the housing 300 are separatedfrom each other, the user can concentrate on displayed images.

Referring to FIG. 19(b), the body 10 and the housing 500 can be closelyarranged. That is, the display device is in the second state. In thiscase, the exposed length FD2 of the flat cable 161 is short. Since theexposed length FD2 of the flat cable 161 is short, the display devicehas a neat appearance. In addition, there is a low possibility that theflat cable 161 is twisted.

The exposed length of the flat cable 161 of the display device accordingto the present invention can be freely controlled. Accordingly, the body10 and the housing 500 can be arranged as the user desires.

Referring to FIG. 20, the display device according to the presentinvention may be configured in such a manner that a support bar 326 onwhich the flat cable 161 hangs is disposed inside of the body 10. Thesupport body 326 can move inside of the body 10. For example, thesupport bar 326 can move up and down as the display device switches fromthe first state to the second state.

As shown in FIG. 20(a), the support bar 326 can be located closely abovethe FPC board 174 in the first state. Accordingly, the flat cable 161 inproximity to the FPC board 174 can hang on the support bar 326. That is,the distance between the connector 157, which connects the FPC board 174and the flat cable 161, and the support bar 326 can be relatively short.In this case, since a relatively short portion of the flat cable 161hangs on the support bar 326, the exposed length of the flat cable 161can be relatively long.

Referring to FIG. 20(b), the support bar 326 can be located a longdistance from the FPC board 174 in the second state. That is, thesupport bar 326 can be located higher in the second state than in thefirst state. Accordingly, the distance between the connector 157, whichconnects the FPC board 174 and the flat cable 161, and the support bar326 can be relatively long. In this case, since a relatively longportion of the flat cable 161 hangs on the support bar 326, the exposedlength of the flat cable 161 can be relatively short.

According to the present invention, the exposed length of the flat cable161 can be adjusted by controlling the support bar 326 disposed insideof the display device. Accordingly, the appearance of the display devicebecomes neat since the extra portion of the flat cable 161 is locatedinside of the display device. In addition, the flat cable 161 isprevented from being twisted since the length of the flat cable 161 isadjusted by moving the support bar 326 up and down.

Referring to FIG. 21(a), the display device according to the presentinvention may include a blind case 380 provided to the upper part of thebody 10. The blind case 380 may be a part where a driving unit fordriving the support bar 326 is located. The blind case 380 can shieldthe driving unit of the support bar 326.

A driving loop 371 may be disposed at one side of the blind case 380.The driving loop 371 may hang on at least part of the driving unitlocated inside of the blind case 380. The user can operate the drivingloop 372 to move the support bar 326 up and down.

Referring to FIG. 21(b), a first rotating plate 240 and a secondrotating plate 260 may be located inside of the blind case 380. A line342 hanging on the support bar 326 may be wound around the firstrotating plate 240 and the second rotating plate 260.

The driving loop 371 may be wound around the second rotating plate 260.The driving loop 371 may include a first driving loop 371 a and a seconddriving loop 371 b which are opposite each other on the basis of thesecond rotating plate 260. The second rotating plate 260 can rotate in afirst direction corresponding to clockwise when the first driving loop371 a is pulled and rotate in a second direction corresponding tocounterclockwise when the second driving loop 371 b is pulled.

When the support bar 326 is located at a lower part of the displaydevice, the second rotating plate 260 can rotate in the second directionwhen the second driving loop 371 b is pulled. As the second rotatingplate 260 rotates in the second direction, a longer portion of the line342 can be wound around the second rotating plate 260. That is, one endof the line 342 can be moved upward. In this case, the support bar 326can be moved along with the line 342 so as to reduce the exposed lengthof the flat cable.

When the first driving loop 371 a is pulled with the support 326 movedupward, the second rotating plate 260 can rotate in the first direction.As the second rotating plate 260 rotates in the first direction, theline 342 is gradually released from the second rotating plate 260. Thatis, one end of the line 342 is moved down. In this case, the support bar326 can be moved down along with the line 342 so as to increase theexposed length of the flat cable.

That is, according to the present invention, the support bar 326 can bemoved without being directly touched. Accordingly, the user canconveniently move the support bar 326 up and down.

FIGS. 22 to 29 illustrate a display device according to anotherembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 22, the display device according to the presentinvention may not include the cable cover for covering the flat cable161. Accordingly, the upper surface of the flat cable 161 can be exposedto the outside. In addition, since the cable cover is not provided tothe display device, the flat cable 161 can be easily coupled to/detachedfrom the FPC cable 181.

From a top view, the flat cable 161 is disposed at the part where thewidth of the FPC cable 181 widens, and thus the display device looksneater.

Referring to FIG. 23, the FPC cable 181 may include a first couplingpart 413 disposed on the upper surface of the end of the uppermost layerthereof. The first coupling part 413 may be disposed more inwardly thanthe FPC terminals 217. The first coupling part 413 may include amagnetic material. The first coupling part 413 may protrude upward. Thefirst coupling part 413 may be extended in the first direction. However,the present invention is not limited thereto and a plurality of firstcoupling parts 413 may be arranged at intervals.

Since the first coupling part 413 is located on the upper surface of theFPC cable 181, the FPC cable 181 and the flat cable can be coupledwithout a cable cover.

Referring to FIG. 24, the flat cable 161 may include a second couplingpart 415 provided in front of the flat cable terminal 231. The secondcoupling part 415 may protrude downward from the flat cable 161. Thesecond coupling part may include a magnetic material having polarityopposite the first coupling part. The second coupling part 415 may beextended in the first direction. However, the present invention is notlimited thereto and a plurality of second coupling parts 415 may bearranged at intervals

Since the second coupling part 415 is provided to the flat cable 161,the flat cable 161 and the FPC cable can be coupled without a cablecover.

Referring to FIG. 25, the FPC terminals 217 of the display deviceaccording to the present invention may protrude upward like the firstcoupling part 413. The protruding portions of the FPC terminals 217 maybe extended from metal lines mounted inside of the FPC cable 181.However, the present invention is not limited thereto and the protrudingportions of the FPC terminals 217 may be attached to the metal linesmounted inside of the FPC cable 181.

Each protruding portion may include a support portion 241 and a contactportion 237. The support part 241 may be a part that connects thecontact part 237 of the FPC terminal 217 and the metal line mountedinside of the FPC cable 181. The support portion 241 may be disposedonly at one side of the contact portion 237. That is, the part of thecontact portion 237 except for the part corresponding to the supportportion 241 can be separated from the metal line disposed inside of theFPC cable 181.

The contact portion 237 may have a smaller diameter as the contactportion 237 goes to the top thereof. That is, the contact portion 237can have a semispherical shape. The contact portion 237 may be a partcontacting a terminal of the flat cable. Accordingly, the contactportion 237 can include a high conductivity material.

The top of the contact portion 237 may be higher than the top of thefirst coupling part 413 by a predetermined height LH. If the top of thecontact portion 237 is lower than the top of the first coupling part413, the contact portion 237 may not contact a flat cable terminal dueto the first coupling part 413 when the FPC cable 181 is coupled to theflat cable.

Referring to FIG. 26, according to the display device of the presentinvention, the flat cable 161 and the FPC cable 181 can be coupledthrough the first and second coupling parts 413 and 415. The first andsecond coupling parts 413 and 415 can be strongly coupled to each otherwhen the first coupling part 413 approximates the second coupling part415 since the first and second coupling parts 413 and 415 have oppositepolarities.

Each flat cable terminal 231 can include the support portion 241 and thecontact portion 237 like the FPC terminal 217. The support portion 241and the contact portion 237 of the flat cable terminal 231 may be thesame as the support portion 241 and the contact portion 237 of the FPCterminal 217 except for protruding direction. That is, the supportportion 241 and the contact portion 237 of the flat cable terminal 231may have an upside-down form of the support portion 241 and the contactportion 237 of the FPC terminal 217.

When the first and second coupling parts 413 and 415 are coupled, thecontact portion 237 of the flat cable terminal 231 and the contactportion 237 of the FPC terminal 217 can contact each other. When thefirst and second coupling parts 413 and 415 are coupled, the height ofthe top of the contact portion 237 may be the same as the height of theupper surface of the first coupling part 413. That is, the distancebetween the contact portion 237 and the metal line mounted inside of theFPC cable 181, which does not correspond to the support portion 241, canbe reduced. Since the part of the contact portion 237, which does notcorrespond to the support part 241, can be freely moved, the first andsecond coupling parts 413 and 415 can contact each other.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto and the first andsecond coupling parts 413 and 415 maybe coupled according to magneticforce while being separated from each other with the shape of thecontact portions 237 thereof maintained.

According to the present invention, the heights of the tops of the FPCterminal 217 and the flat cable terminal 231 can be freely changed.Accordingly, contact of the FPC terminal 217 and the flat cable terminal231 can be maintained. In addition, the flat cable 161 and the FPC cable181 can be strongly coupled to each other.

Referring to FIG. 27, in the display device according to the presentinvention, the FPC cable 181 and the flat cable 161 may be coupledthrough one or more screws 321 as well as the first and second couplingparts 413 and 415. The one or more screws 321 may be disposed at fourcorners of the region where the FPC cable 181 and the flat cable 161overlap. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and thescrews 321 may be provided to any region where the FPC cable 181 and theflat cable 161 overlap.

The FPC cable and the flat cable 161 can be strongly coupled since thescrews 321 as well as the first and second coupling parts 413 and 415are used.

Referring to FIG. 28, in the display device according to the presentinvention, the FPC cable 181 and the flat cable 161 may be coupledthrough one or more fixing holders 327 as well as the first and secondcoupling parts 413 and 415. The one or more fixing holders 327 may befastened to portions of sides adjacent to corners of the region wherethe FPC cable 181 and the flat cable 161 overlap. However, the presentinvention is not limited thereto and the fixing holders 327 may beprovided to portions of sides of any region where the FPC cable 181 andthe flat cable 161 overlap.

The fixing holders 327 can fasten the part at which the FPC cable 181and the flat cable 161 overlap. The fixing holders 327 can maintain thestate in which the lower surface of the FPC cable 181 and the uppersurface of the flat cable 161 come into contact with each other. One endof each fixing holder 327 may come into contact with the lower surfaceof the FPC cable 181 and the other end thereof may come into contactwith the upper surface of the flat cable 181.

The FPC cable 161 and the flat cable 161 can be strongly coupledaccording to the fixing holders 327, and thus non-contact betweenterminals of the flat cable 161 and the FPC cable 181 can be prevented.

Referring to FIG. 29, a plug 442 may be disposed at one end of the flatcable 161. The plug 442 can be inserted into the body 10. The width ofthe plug 442 in the first direction can increase with increasingdistance to the end of the plug 442. That is, signal terminals and powerterminals disposed inside of the plug 442 can be spread wide.Accordingly, the plug 442 is thin and thus can be inserted into the body10.

The plug 442 inserted into the body 10 can be inserted into a slot 467.The slot 467 may be mounted on the FPC board 174. The slot 467 can guidea position into which the plug 442 is inserted. The slot 467 cantransfer data delivered from the plug 442 to the FPC board 174.

The plug 442 can be easily separated from/coupled to the slot 467 asnecessary. Accordingly, the user can easily combine/separate the housingwith/from the body 10. In addition, when the housing is combined withthe body 10, the plug 10 is located inside of the body 10 and thus theappearance of the display device becomes clean.

The slot 467 may be located at the center of the body 10, as shown inFIG. 29(a). Alternatively, the slot 467 may be disposed at one side ofthe body 10, as shown in FIG. 29(b). In this case, the plug 442 and theflat cable 161 coupled to the slot 467 can also be located at one sideof the body 10 and thus do not disturb the user when the user viewsdisplayed images.

Referring to FIG. 30, the slot 467 may include side slots 457 a and abody slot 467 b. The side slots 467 a may be extended from both ends ofthe body slot 467 b in a direction perpendicular to the body slot 467 b.

The side slots 467 a may include guide grooves 513 formed therein. Theguide grooves 513 may be recesses formed at the inside centers of theside slots 467 a. The guide grooves 513 may be parts that guideinsertion of the plug.

The body slot 467 b may include a plurality of connector sockets 521arranged therein. The plurality of connector sockets 521 may be arrangedat intervals. The connector sockets 521 may be parts into whichconnector pins of the plug are inserted. The body slot 467 b canfunction as a connector. That is, the body slot 467 b can transfer datadelivered through the connector sockets 521 to the FPC board.

The slot 467 can guide correct insertion of the plug through the guidegrooves 153 provided to the side slots 467 a. Accordingly, the user caneasily connect or separate the plug. In addition, the slot 467 cantransfer data simultaneously with insertion of the plug since theconnector sockets 521 are provided inside of the body slot 467 b.Accordingly, the user can transmit data of the housing to the body moreconveniently.

Referring to FIG. 31, the plug 442 may include a plug body 541 and aplug connector 547. The plug body 541 may have one end coupled to theflat cable 161. The width of the plug body 541 in the first directionmay increase with increasing distance from the side opposite the flatcable 161. That is, the signal terminals and power terminals disposedinside of the plug body 541 can be spread wide. Accordingly, thethickness of the plug body 541 in the third direction can be reduced.

The plug connector 547 may be disposed at the other end of the plug body541. The plug connector 547 is narrower than the plug body 541 and mayhave a shape protruding from the plug body 541. The plug connector 547may be a part combined with the aforementioned body slot.

The plug connector 547 may include a plurality of connector pins 573provided to the face combined with the body slot. The connector pins 573may protrude forward from the plug connector 547. The plurality ofconnector pins 573 may be arranged at intervals. The connector pins 573may be inserted into the connector sockets of the body slot. Thepositions of the connector pins 573 may correspond to the positions ofthe connector sockets for correct insertion. That is, intervals of theconnector pins 573 can correspond to intervals of the connector sockets.Data can be transferred to the FPC board through the connector pins 573.

Referring to FIG. 32(a), the conventional display device may have a plug23 with a uniform width. Accordingly, signal terminals and powerterminals disposed inside of the plug 23 may not be spread laterally,and thus the thickness PCW of the plug 23 may be greater than theinternal width of the body 10.

Therefore, the plug 23 is exposed to the outside rather than beinginserted into the body 10. In this case, the appearance of the displaydevice is not clean since a wide face of the plug 23 is exposed to theoutside. In addition, the exposed plug may distract the user from thedisplay screen.

Referring to FIG. 32(b), according to the display device according tothe present invention, the width of the plug 442 in the first directionincreases with increasing distance to the side opposite the flat cable161. Accordingly, the signal terminals and power terminals of the plug442 are spread wide. The width ICW of the plug 442 may be less than theinternal width of the body 10.

Accordingly, the plug 442 can be inserted into the body 10 and thus theplug 442 is not exposed to the outside. In this case, the flat cable 161appears to be directly coupled to the body 10. Therefore, the displaydevice has a neat appearance and the user can concentrate on the displayscreen.

Referring to FIG. 33, in the display device according to the presentinvention, the FPC board 174 may be coupled to the plug 442 through avariable FPC 617. The variable FPC 617 may have functions and astructure identical or similar to the FPC board 174.

The variable FPC 617 may have a plurality of connecting portions coupledto the FPC board 174, which are disposed at one end thereof, and aconnecting portion coupled to the connector 157, which is disposed atthe other end thereof. The connecting portion with the connector 157 isnarrower than the plurality of connecting portions. Accordingly, thevariable FPC 617 can connect various types of signal terminals and powerterminals to the plug 442.

The connecting portion of the variable FPC 617, which is coupled to theconnector 157, may be located outside of the body 10. Accordingly, theplug 442 is not inserted into the body 10 and thus the thickness of theplug 442 can be freely set irrespective of the thickness of the body 10.

Referring to FIG. 34, according to the present invention, an empty space631 may be provided inside the attached panel 700. The flat cable 161can couple the body 10 and the housing 500 through the empty space 631.The empty space 631 can be formed by making a hole in the attached panel700. However, the present invention is not limited thereto and the emptyspace 631 may be formed by setting a free-standing wall.

The empty space 631 includes a body penetrating part 672 correspondingto the body 10 and a housing penetrating part 674 corresponding to thehousing 500 in order to couple the body 10 and the housing 500. Theabove description may be applied to embodiments which will be describedbelow.

The variable FPC 672 may be bent at a part of the body 10, which isexposed to the outside. The bent variable FPC 672 may be inserted intothe body penetrating part 672 to be coupled to the plug 442. The flatcable 161 extended from the plug 442 may be coupled to the housing 500through the housing penetrating part 674.

According to the display device of the present invention, the body 10 isthin since the plug 44 is located outside of the body 10 and theappearance of the display device is clean since the thick plug 442 islocated in the empty space 631.

Referring to FIG. 35, the FPC board 174 may be directly coupled to aplurality of plugs 442. The plugs 442 may be connected through theconnector 157 on the FPC board 174. Since the plurality of plugs 442 isdirectly coupled to the FPC board 174, the plugs 442 are not easilyseparated from the FPC board 174.

Cables coupled to the plugs 442 can be collected and connected to theone flat cable 161. The plugs 442 are located inside of the body 10 andthus are not exposed to the outside.

Referring to FIG. 36, the flat cable 161 can be bent at the region ofthe body 10 which is exposed to the outside. According to the presentembodiment, the housing 500 and the body 10 are not easily separatedfrom each other since the housing 500 and the body 10 are coupledthrough the flat cable 161. In addition, since the plugs are not exposedto the outside, the body 10 and the housing 500 can be easily coupledeven if the empty space 631 is narrow.

Referring to FIG. 37, the flat cable 161 may contact the variable FPC617. The variable FPC 617 and the flat cable 161 may be coupled usingthe connector 157.

A cable cover 652 that shields at least part of the variable FPC 617 andthe flat cable 161 may be provided to the rear side of the display panel100. The cable cover 652 can be coupled to the display panel 100 throughat least one screw 117 provided to the upper end thereof and at leastone latch 119 provided to the lower end thereof.

The cable cover 652 can support the rear side of the flat cable 161.Accordingly, the cable cover 652 can prevent the flat cable 161 frombeing separated from the rear side of the display panel 100.

A cable stopper 682 may be provided to the center of the lower end ofthe cable cover 652. The cable stopper 682 may be fixed by a protrusion615 provided to the center of the lower end of the cable cover 652. Thecable stopper 682 can fix the flat cable 161. The cable stopper 682 canprevent the flat cable 161 from being vertically separated. In addition,since the cable stopper 682 fixes the flat cable 161, the flat cable 161is not separated from the variable FPC 617 even if the flat cable 161located at the lower end of the cable stopper 682 is bent.

Referring to FIG. 38, the flat cable 161 may be bent at the part of thebody 10 which is exposed to the outside.

According to the present embodiment, the body 10 and the flat cable 161may not be coupled using the plug . Accordingly, the thickness of thebody 10 can be reduced. In addition, the flat cable 161 may not beeasily separated from the body 10 since the flat cable 161 is fixed bythe cable stopper, which is not shown. The body 10 and the housing 500can be easily connected even if the empty space 631 is narrow since theplug is not used.

Referring to FIG. 39, when the body 10 and the housing 500 are separatedby a long distance, the body 10 and the housing 500 can be connectedthrough a plurality of flat cables 161. That is, the body 10 and thehousing 500 can transfer data through the plurality of flat cables 161.

Each flat cable 161 can be coupled through the plug 442. Since the body10 and the housing 500 are connected through the flat cables 161 only,the display device can have a neat appearance.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number ofillustrative embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerousother modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled inthe art that will fall within the scope of the principles of thisdisclosure. More particularly, various variations and modifications arepossible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subjectcombination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawingsand the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications inthe component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also beapparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A display device comprising: a display unitincluding a display panel configured to display an image; a housingspaced apart from the display unit, the housing configured to exchangepredetermined electrical signals with the display unit; and a flat cableelectrically connecting the display unit and the housing for exchangingthe predetermined electrical signals, wherein one end of the flat cableis configured to be detachably coupled to the housing, and wherein theflat cable includes a plurality of layers for transmitting the differentpredetermined electrical signals, respectively.
 2. The display device ofclaim 1, wherein one of the plurality of layers is configured to provideelectrical power from the housing to the display unit.
 3. The displaydevice of claim 1, wherein the display unit includes: a flexible printedcircuit (FPC) board electrically connected to the display panel andpositioned at a rear of the display panel, and one or more ports forconnecting the FPC board and the flat cable, and positioned at the rearof the display panel.
 4. The display device of claim 3, wherein the flatcable includes a connector configured to be coupled with the one or moreports, wherein the one or more ports is not externally exposed from thedisplay unit.
 5. The display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality oflayers are secured together along a first predetermined region of theflat cable and separated along a second predetermined region of the flatcable.
 6. The display device of claim 5, wherein the secondpredetermined region is toward an end of the flat cable.
 7. The displaydevice of claim 1, wherein the flat cable further includes a jacketcovering the plurality of layers.
 8. The display device of claim 1,wherein the flat cable is one of a plurality of distinct flat cablesthat are bundled together for connecting the display unit and thehousing, wherein each of the plurality of distinct flat cables areconnected to the display unit through a corresponding port.
 9. Thedisplay device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality oflayers is configured to transmit a video signal, and wherein another oneof the plurality of layers is configured to provide electrical powerfrom the housing to the display unit.
 10. The display device of claim 1,wherein the flat cable is bendable.
 11. The display device of claim 1,wherein another end of the flat cable is configured to be detachablycoupled to the display unit.
 12. A flat cable for electricallyconnecting a display unit separated from a housing, the cablecomprising: a plurality of overlapping layers each configured totransmit a different signal of a plurality of predetermined electricalsignals between the display unit and the housing, wherein at least oneof the plurality of overlapping layers is configured to transmit a videosignal between the display unit and the housing, wherein another one ofthe plurality of overlapping layers is configured to provide electricalpower from the housing to the display unit, and wherein the flat cableincludes at least one connector configured to be coupled with a port atthe display unit or the housing.
 13. The flat cable of claim 12, whereinthe at least one connector is not externally exposed from the displayunit when coupled to the port at the display unit.
 14. The flat cable ofclaim 12, wherein the plurality of overlapping layers are securedtogether along a first predetermined region of the flat cable andseparated along a second predetermined region of the flat cable.
 15. Theflat cable of claim 14, wherein the second predetermined region istoward an end of the flat cable.
 16. The flat cable of claim 12, furthercomprising a jacket covering the plurality of overlapping layers. 17.The flat cable of claim 12, wherein the flat cable is one of a pluralityof distinct flat cables that are bundled together for connecting thedisplay unit and the housing, wherein each of the plurality of distinctflat cables has a connector configured to be connected to the displayunit through a corresponding port.
 18. The flat cable of claim 12,wherein the plurality of overlapping layers is bendable.
 19. The flatcable of claim 12, wherein the flat cable is configured to be detachablycoupled to the display unit.